ART THERAPY
Sarah Byrne
Expressive Art Therapist
.png)
Sarah is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin from which she earned a B.Ed Honours Degree. She has been teaching for over twenty years and is a huge advocate for the arts within education.
Originally from Ireland, she moved to Vancouver in 2011 where she has been immersed inthe world of Special Education and where she also discovered her passion for helping students to learn through therapeutic methods. Sarah became certified as an OGP (Orton Gillingham Practitioner) in 2023 completing her practicum through REACH North Vancouver. She also completed the diploma course in Expressive Arts Therapy through VATI (Vancouver Art Therapy Institute) and is a certified Expressive Arts Therapist with a Registered Therapeutic Counselor accreditation through the ACCT (Association of
Cooperative Counseling Therapists of Canada). Sarah plans to continue her studies in Expressive Arts Therapy by undertaking the Masters Program starting July 2025 through the European Graduate School in Switzerland.
Sarah offers both 1:1 Orton Gillingham sessions as well as Expressive Arts Therapy sessions for all ages.
As Sarah continues to work, full time, as a teacher at KGMS (Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School) in North Vancouver she has limited availability and currently has a waitlist.
Please email her at sbyrneexat@gmail.com if you have an interest to learn more about Orton Gillingham or Expressive Arts Therapy sessions and secure a spot or join the waitlist.
Despina Pelekos
Expressive Art Therapist Intern
Despina (she/they) has a background in social work and most recently worked at the Canadian Mental Health Association for 9 years. Despina worked with youth and adults living with mental health and addictions, and supported them in their recovery journeys. Despina has worked as a Social Worker in health settings and in the non-profit sector for 16 years and has experience working with seniors with loss of autonomy, families, youth and adults. She has worked in crisis situations, and has formal training in Cognitive Restructuring, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and ASSIST. They are also trauma informed, and work from a client centred approach.
Despina is originally from Montreal, QC where she completed a Bachelor of Social Work degree at McGill University in 2010 and moved to Ottawa, ON where she earned a Master degree in Social Work from the University of Ottawa in 2015. In September 2024, they moved to Vancouver and are currently attending Expressive Art Therapy Program to earn their Diploma from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute (VATI).
Despina loves art and her current art practice consists of painting, drawing, writing and dancing (primarily hip hop). They are passionate about helping others through their challenges with the help of the arts and look forward to working with neurodiverse children and families.
Despina is currently accepting clients for 1:1 sessions and is available on Mondays from 10am to 7pm, Wednesdays from 9am - 5pm, & Thursdays from 9am - 1pm.
Colleen Wickenheiser
Expressive Art Therapist Intern
My name is Colleen and I am an Expressive Arts Therapy student at Vancouver Art Therapy Institute. I have an Education degree and a Masters in Counselling from the University of Saskatchewan. I have experience working with children and adults in a variety of settings and I love to support people to be their best selves wherever they happen to be in their lives.
​
I love all forms of art and self expression. In sessions I provide a safe environment for children and adults to explore and express who they are, where they’re at and how they’re feeling through art and play and my supportive presence. Through being supported in self expression and creativity we can live happier, healthier and more connected lives.
Charity Hu
Art Therapist
My name is Charity and I am a Certified Art Therapist in Vancouver. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design and Art from Kwantlen Polytechnic University and a graduate-level Diploma from Vancouver Art Therapy Institute. I’ve had experience working with a wide range of age groups, from children in primary school to seniors at care facilities, and also experience working with various challenges, including behavioral issues, depression, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, social isolation, grief/ loss, and PTSD. From both research and personal experience, I’ve seen how art therapy empowers and enriches lives. Are you or your child having difficulties understanding and communicating your emotions? Art therapy may be a perfect way to facilitate the process of expressing your hearts healthily and creatively!
​
Available Monday 11am - 4pm and Saturday 11am - 6pm. Will be seeing clients until December 2023 and then will be off on maternity leave until March 2025.
Andrea Denny-Jiles
Expressive Art Therapist Intern
Andrea, known as Dre (she/they), has grown up in Vancouver and gratefully acknowledges that she is an uninvited guest working and living on unceded and ancestral territories of the xwmÉ™θkwÉ™yÌ“É™m (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and sÉ™lilwÉ™taɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Dre is currently attending an Expressive Arts Therapy Diploma program at the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute (VATI). She has also started her education at the European Graduate School
where she will earn her Masters in Expressive Arts Therapy in June of 2026.
Dre holds a Bachelors of Liberal Arts and Science, with a focus on psychology, feminist art practices and cultural studies, from Quest University Canada and a fine arts Diploma from Emily Carr university.
Dre grew up with dyslexia and ADHD and as such, has personal experience with being a neurodiverse child. She has worked as a mental health facilitator for teens, mental health support
for children with autism and has interned as an art therapist for folks affected by FASD.
They have a background in theatre, dance and visual arts. Her past works have been centered around community building, engagement and joy.
Dre is passionate about the creative process and its ability to promote self expression and introspection. She aims to support others in finding their creative voice and works in a resource
oriented methodology.
Dre is currently accepting clients for 1:1 sessions and is available on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30pm and Fridays from 3:30-4:30pm.
Upcoming Workshops
![[Original size] Blue and Grey Minimalist Fashion Flash Sale Poster.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/640410_b287d12b17a746e0961c0e75b429f4c6~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_72,h_96,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BOriginal%20size%5D%20Blue%20and%20Grey%20Minimalist%20Fashion%20Flash%20Sale%20Poster.png)